FAO : "VRAM" (others can just delete/ignore)

[Tony Arnold]

James Gray wrote:
> On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 18:44, Vincent Trouilliez wrote:
> 
>>On Mon, 2005-12-19 at 23:40 -0800, Vram wrote:
>>
>>>Vince
>>>It was rejected at the ISP...
>>>Not me..
>>
>>Yes that's what I said: "your mail server", obviously equals to "you
>>ISP" ;-)
> 
> 
> Hmmm - I guess people like me with their own mail servers don't need to 
> worry then :P  FWIW, I haven't used a mail server I don't directly admin in 
> over 5 years...ISP mail servers are horrid beasts that suffer exactly the 
> sort of problems the OP is having.  I control my servers, and my IP range, 
> so if someone relays through my servers (hahah good luck!) it's my own 
> stupid fault :P

It's not necessarily relaying causing this. It just needs a compromised
PC that uses the ISP to start sending out SPAM through their mail
router, and things like SpamCop and others will black list the mail
router. Other mail routers may check the black list and refuse to accept
mail from such machines.

This happens to us at my University, and we have some very carefully and
tightly controlled mail routers.

Ideally, it should be the originating machine and not the mail router
that should be blocked, but it's not a perfect world!

Regards,
Tony.
-- 
Tony Arnold, IT Security Coordinator, University of Manchester,
IT Services Division, Kilburn Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL.
T: +44 (0)161 275 6093, F: +44 (0)870 136 1004, M: +44 (0)773 330 0039
E: tony.arnold at manchester.ac.uk, H: http://www.man.ac.uk/Tony.Arnold